Posted Detailed “Bedside” (1934) Review on Examiner.com
Warren William in Bedside
I posted a long review of the 1934 Warren William feature “Bedside” over on Examiner.com earlier today. It is, of course, step one of my master plan to inject Warren William into more mainstream film conversation. Actually, the movie I originally planned to review wouldn’t play on my computer and my copy of “Bedside” (which for some reason no longer plays with any sound on my television) did in fact play perfectly on the computer. So, while WW was the backup choice I prefer to think of him as my go-to guy–I was in a jam and he bailed me out!
Here are the first few paragraphs of my “Bedside” write-up along with some bonus images which I didn’t include over at the Examiner – by the way, this one is quite long and I do my best not to include any spoilers. Enjoy:
“Oh, Bob, you’re marvelous,” Jean Muir’s Caroline coos toward her counterpart at the end of several scenes in “Bedside” (1934). In fact, it’s also the last line of the movie.
We can’t altogether fault Caroline for being so young and naive as to be charmed by Bob Brown aka Dr. J. Herbert Martel as played by leading early 30’s cad Warren William–after all, all of the ladies he’s worked on, whether it’s been over x-rays, examinations, or even an operation, have found themselves getting all aflutter as a result of Bob’s bedside manner.
“Bedside” is a 66-minute medical drama released by Warner Brothers’ First National Pictures towards the tail-end of the pre-code period. Besides your usual references and none too timid allusions to sex, “Bedside” takes the pre-code sin over the top in some more unusual ways. Most obvious of elements which would never make it to film just a few months later is the desparate morphine addict, Dr. J. Herbert Martel aka John Smith, played by seedy looking character actor David Landau.
But “Bedside” goes beyond the usual pre-code conventions and delves into the much more taboo subject of raising the dead, somehow shifting a small section of this movie over to the realm of sci-fi. The trail had already been blazed, and yes, much more effectively, by “Frankenstein” (1931), but just the fact that “Bedside” can even bring “Frankenstein” to mind tells you there’s something a little special about it.
Read the complete “Bedside” review on the NY Classic Movies page at Examiner.com.
Just in case you were curious, this guy is David Landau. He plays the addict Smith aka the real J. Herbert Martel in Bedside.
"You used my education to heal the sick. Whose brains are you using to raise the dead?"
May 12th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Now I want to see this! I just finished watching Employee’s Entrance and I was completely on Warren’s side. He’s so terrible, you can’t help but like him.
May 14th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Thanks for the comment.
Love Employee’s Entrance, originally picked it up on VHS along with Skyscraper Souls (both from the Leonard Maltin Forbidden Hollywood Series) and still can’t remember which of the pair hooked me on Warren William–surely whichever one I watched first!
Bedside is great, but you definitely got to hunt to find a copy. Pretty sure I found mind on DVD-R from a seller on iOffer.
I’m really hoping the new Warner Archives releases finally get around to putting out some of the William pre-code titles.
Thanks again, Cliff
May 14th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
The eBay seller truth3152, whom I have mentioned before, just started offering Bedside as part of his third four-title WW collection, but this one, too, seems to be just for “private” customers rather than eBay shoppers. Picking up the Perry Mason and/or Lone Wolf series from him on eBay would get you his complete list, and they are certainly worth having in their own right if you don’t have them already. (“You” here meaning Evangeline and others–I know YOU have them, Cliff.) Still waiting for The Mind Reader and The Match King to turn up again, but surely they will.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Oops–that should have been his FOURTH four-title WW collection. I certainly am error-prone at the time of day I get around to reading your blog.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Thanks for helping out, Jeffers, I appreciate it! Hopefully Evangeline sees it.
I forget, Jeffers, do you own and/or have you seen Bedside yet? If so would love your thoughts.
Thanks, Cliff
May 16th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I ordered the above-mentioned set almost simulateously with posting the above mention; will probably have it Monday (May 18); will watch it and respond in a week or two, probably (though after my intensive introduction to WW’s non-Mason roles in recent months, I am otherwise taking a breather for a couple months, largely in favor of The Rogues and Ellery Queen TV series).
Here are the contents of the four four-DVD-R sets I mentioned above:
1. Skyscraper Souls; The Dark Horse; Employees’ Entrance; Three on a Match
2. Lady for a Day; Gold Diggers of 1933; Imitation of Life; Living on Velvet
3. Dr. Monica; Don’t Bet on Blondes; Times Square Playboy; Satan Met a Lady
4. Under 18; Bedside; The Secret Bride; The Man in the Iron Mask
Each set is, at this writing, $20 plus $3 shipping. Since I had already gathered all of those titles that I particularly want before these sets (except the last one) came to light, I haven’t seen them. (Are Imitation of Life, Living on Velvet, and Dr. Monica titles I need to see?) I do have several other sets from this seller: they are plain DVD-Rs with very nice illustrations on the box inserts. One disk I received was defective but was replaced not only courteously but enthusiastically. The sets he offers on eBay are old mystery-movie series: Perry Mason, Lone Wolf, The Saint, The Falcon, Philo Vance, Ellery Queen, Hildegaard Withers, etc. An entirely satisfactory fellow to do shopping with if in the market for this type of thing!
A comment that really belongs on a different page, but since I’m here … Fred Kelsey fans with any taste or tolerance for movie serials should not miss The Green Archer (1940), not at all a typical straitlaced serial, but one dislocated from sense and sobriety enough to make room for Kelsey’s incompetent busybody police captain to add to hero Victor Jory’s troubles for 15 chapters, after which (SPOILER ALERT) it is revealed that he had only PRETENDED to be an incompetent busybody so that he could keep watch over Jory without the bad guys realizing that he needed to be taken seriously.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Got to be honest pal, Living on Velvet and Dr. Monica are both on my DVR from when TCM did a Kay Francis night, but whichever one I tried put me to sleep so I’ve been loathe to go back to either. Eventually I will of course, but I’ve got to get in the right frame of mind.
Imitation of Life is a Claudette Colbert movie with WW playing a part any actor could have handled. A young Rochelle Hudson has a big crush on him but William doesn’t handle it the way he does in his pre-code appearances
That said it is a classic in its own merit with a heavy focus on racial inequities for 1934.
It’s a shame that Warren William isn’t ever the focal character in any of his movies with mainstream appeal.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I had misgivings about whether I even wanted to see Bedside, despite your endorsement, since others have deemed it less satisfying than usual to see WW in one of his Skunk Triumphant roles, given that this skunk is in a profession where his fraudulent egoism puts innocent lives at such immediate and direct risk. What made me add it to my must-see list, apart from your recommendation, was the desire to see how on earth the filmmakers could get to that closing line “Bob, you’re marvelous” and think they had earned it, plus the fact that Jean Muir made a really favorable impression on me in The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (not a scintillating part, but one in which she outdoes all of Lanyard’s other damsels in distress that I’ve seen so far [not counting Ida Lupino's screwball variation] in delivering an illusion of well-rounded depth in a mere conventional B-movie supporting role).
Anyway, Bedside certainly stands apart from the other WW Skunk movies I’ve seen (I guess The Mouthpiece best fits that designation, but I’m also thinking of Skyscraper Souls and Employees’ Entrance). The screenwriter’s brief seems to have been to make his character’s career as appalling and irredeemable as possible, then make sure he never has to pay a penalty for it, apart from a penance-free repentance. As with Shakespeare’s Problem Plays, one grasps for some ulterior or at least alterior motive, a hidden agenda, that would explain why such a seemingly unsatisfactory plotline would be pursued. Such cases may occur, bad boyfriends may be forgiven in spite of everything, but in THIS arena–surgeons letting a fraudulent surgeon off scot-free because he is now willing to stop? What are the filmmakers REALLY getting at? I find myself thinking of charismatic political leaders who attract followers so irresistibly infatuated that, no matter what the pol does, no matter how disastrous the results, no matter how near the followers themselves come to destruction, they can’t walk away from their hero or the unshaken conviction that, despite everything, he is still “marvelous”; and even those who are responsible for passing judgment on the pol’s crimes (actual crimes!) and cleaning up in the aftermath of his tenure don’t think anything more than a mild scolding is really called for. But, while Bedside makes one (or at least me) grasp for some such parable-like point it could be REALLY making, it doesn’t leave one (or at least me) believing that there IS such a point that is really making. There is terrific fodder here for endless discussions in film-school seminars or film-maven blogs, no one who sees it will forget Warren William, and I’m certainly glad I had the chance to see it, but it wouldn’t have made me an incipient fan of anyone involved if this had been my starting point.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:10 am
Hi Jeffers,
I’m glad you saw it. It’s very uneven, but the story really has some fantastic elements going on as well as William in some of his best “skunking” as you say.
Actually, Jean Muir got on my nerves a bit here, though I did find her funny in a campy way every time she told Bob how “marvelous” he was — leaving me talking to my TV, “how can you say that?”
David Landau on the other hand I thought was fantastic, though every time I see him now I’m expecting him to be up to no good. Seriously though, he portrayed the most down and out addict I’ve seen in any classic film. No glamour whatsoever.
I think you’re final conclusion is likely right, about there not really being a point made. I think what we had here was a Warren William picture where they wanted the “hero” to walk away in the end. He’s a star at this point, perhaps even at the peak of his stardom, I think it’s as simple as Warner’s knowing what the WW crowd wants, delivering it and then letting the hero get out undamaged.
Cliff
May 21st, 2009 at 10:28 pm
It does seem as if Warner’s knew WW’s fans wanted to see him do his worst and still triumph–maybe what the absurd hero-worshipping of Jean Muir is supposed to satirize is US! But, while WW’s character in Employees’ Entrance (where he remains triumphant), or in Skyscraper Souls or The Mouthpiece, succeeds by exceptional competence in his field and by single-minded determination and perseverance, the marvelous Bob turns on the charm only intermittently and applies his wits only long enough to get himself out of one or another immediate jam, without long-term goals or planning (except in the most general terms). So, if Bedside WERE satirizing fans of WW’s roles in those movies, the satire wouldn’t be fair. But maybe the word “fan” is the giveaway as to how seriously my criticisms should be taken–I’m more a dabbler in B-movie escapism than a serious student of serious cinema, and when you are operating at the higher level, or both levels simultaneously, there’s bound to be a discrepancy in our levels of interest.
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:41 pm
While I figure it’s unlikely I do love your idea that Jean Muir = WW fan. Great out of the box thinking!
Just a guess, and this would probably be tough to track down unless already documented somewhere, but maybe Dr. J. Herbert Martel is actually based on someone ripped from the headlines. Then they put WW in the role and tweaked the ending a little to make their leading man (and his fans) happy.
I think you’d see parallels between Bedside and The Mind Reader from your take–what he’s competent at in both of these films is the art of the scam. This isn’t the penthouse William of Skyscraper Souls and Employees Entrance as much as it is a gutter version of that type character.
It’s funny, have you seen the comments for this on the IMDb? The titles alone tell it all:
Entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons!
Preposterous!
Still shocking 73 years later
Interesting premise, good characters
Kind of runs the gamut of everything we’ve had to say in our conversation here.